The Overlay will contribute to a virtuous cycle of greater income and racial diversity; lower greenhouse gas emissions; beautiful, green new buildings; and a more vibrant, exciting City for everyone.

Cambridge residents are clamoring for one thing: lower housing costs.

Asked what “affects you and your family the most?”35%ofsurveyed residentsin 2018 answered housing/affordable housing (up 5% since 2016). Only6%mentioned the next biggest concern (traffic). The City’s ownneeds assessmentalso put affordable housing as its top priority.

For most Cambridge residents, housing tops the worry list — by a lot. Affordable housing is the “dominant issue on people’s minds,” with 30%volunteeringit as the City’s top problem, according to the most recentpoll, from 2016. It also toppedCambridge’s 2017 Needs Assessment.

Contrast that with the issues raised at arecent gatheringof Cambridge Neighborhood Associations. The event — which caused a stir by drawing over 150 people, including five city councilors, and by featuring comedian-turned-political candidateJimmy Tingle — relegated housing concerns to the “officially third-tier,” to quote theCambridge Day.

The Color of Law on zoning — Richard Rothstein’s jaw-dropping “Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America”

When you say zoning has a racist legacy, people just don’t believe you.Some of our most liberal towns have restrictive zoning — and they can’t be racist, right?

Well … you’d be surprised.

Where’s the proof, though?

We atABC AFhave been convinced by the research of law professor Richard Rothstein, who our sister-orgA Better Cambridgeinvited to speak in May 2018, drawing a crowd of 500+. (Stream his remarks + panel talkhere.)

"While we oppose walls and gated-communities elsewhere, our zoning code has created these communities here in Cambridge."

Cambridge is lucky to have a mayor in Marc McGovern who doesn't just sprinkle the word "equity" in his speeches — he also makes the tough choices so that our Cambridge policies really do advance that lofty goal.

This is particularly true of that ultimate equity issue: housing aka "where people can live."

His State of the City address from Dec. 12 bore this out. The entire speech is here, but we excerpted the housing piece for you (and added emphasis in bold):

Addressing the housing crisis is the most pressing matter before this Council. It is time that we act boldly to ensure that equal opportunity exists for people across the economic spectrum to bind their voice, and their spirit, to the story of our city.

The City Council will consider a change to zoning laws that would make affordable projects much easier to build in 2019, after the Envision Cambridge Plan's policy recommendations have been reviewed and published. Fierce opposition to the proposal is already gathering.

If you believe in the overlay, tell your councilors!

Below are some talking points for you to take or adapt.

We simply are not building enough affordable housing. In the past few years, only three or four sites have been developed, a fraction of what we should be building. For a city that claims to be a beacon of progressivism, this is an embarrassment. That certain neighborhoods have no affordable housing is disgraceful. The affordable housing overlay is an important tool for addressing this injustice.

YIMBYs were outnumbered 2:5 at the latest Envision Cambridge Housing working group meeting on Thursday, Oct. 11.

The Envision Cambridge housing map.

Why do I care about Envision Cambridge again?

You care because this group is generally smart, fact-based and pro-density. More to the point, it's currently in charge of the affordable housing overlay proposal — a new set of laws that will make it easier to build more units of affordable housing in certain areas. That is, IF we come out in force to get the City Council to vote for it in March.

The idea for an affordable housing overlay — which would change zoning rules to make it easier to build affordable housing in Cambridge — has been in the works since October 2014. Now, it looks like a City Council vote to make it happen could be nearing: by early March 2019, according to the Cambridge Day.

The affordable housing overlay process faced a recent hurdle when it became part of Envision Cambridge, a 3-year development "master plan" process, wrapping up this year. So said City Councilor E. Denise Simmons, according to the same article.

The result of decades of inaction is the map below. The white areas — irony intended? — indicate where Cambridge has no affordable housing. As you can see, there's a big hole from West Cambridge to Harvard Sq. where affordable housing seems to have gone missing.

Good job, Cambridge, for seizing "Vail Court," a vacant property in a prime Central Sq. location (3-min walk from T). In the eminent domain proceeding, the City said it would redevelop the property for affordable housing.

Now, the City's about to demolish the building, with work expected to be finished before Halloween, according to city councilor Craig Kelley's newsletter. (That's over two years after the council approved the taking, in September 2016).

Two problems, though:

The former property owners are suing Cambridge for taking the property, so Craig "thinks." This means the City is incurring risk as it moves toward ultimately developing the property.

Probably relatedly, Craig's email implies that there are no immediate plans for proceeding further. (The City's Vail Court micro-site doesn't say anything about likely next steps after demolition.) Sadly, it looks like it's going to be a while before people start moving into affordable homes at this site.

What to do:

The next public meeting to discuss this site will be well-worth attending. Let's make a point of going together, and pressing for movement on this project. And for height, as many units as possible, and even for some ground floor retail. It's right off of that Prospect St thoroughfare North of Mass Ave. Seems like a perfect place to introduce some dynamic street life.

[Update - 10/4]The developers apparently want to build an 8-story office building on the 5-acre site in Kendall. They'll be asking City Council for a zoning change. They're holding the first public meeting tonight — we'll see how the public receives this plan.

* * *

Damn. This would be a great place for some Cambridge housing, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Plans are afoot to develop a 5-acre site at 325 Binney St, a tantalizing mere 10-minute walk from the Kendall t-stop.

Right now, all I know is that Alexandria Real Estate is behind the proposal. Alexandria focuses on developing lab and research space, so it seems likely that that will be the use. (The East Cambridge Planning Committee examined ARE's plans in late September, but I don't know anyone who attended.)

As someone who used to walk past the site -- formerly occupied by Metropolitan Pipe -- I can report that it has definitely been a large dead zone on Binney. I'm hopeful something exciting and dynamic will replace it, even if it's not residences.

If you have any info about the plans for this site, please email me at eugenia@abettercambridgepac.org or hit us up on twitter @BetterPAC.